Finger-moistener.



B. CURTISS. FINGER MOISTENER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.'21,1908.

avwoutoz Patented Dec. 131910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

BERT CURTLSS, OF YPSIL'ANTI, MICHIGAN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Bear G'uirriss,-citizen jects a sponge or analogous absorbent memof the United States, residing at Ypsilanti, her 5 which is housed within the receptacle. in the county of l' ashtenaw and State of This form of the invention is particularly 69 5 Michigan, have invented certain new and designed for the use of railway conductors useful Improvements in l inger-Moisteners, and the like, the pin 2 enabling the device of which the following is a specification. to be attached to the vest or other article of The present invention relates to improveapparel so as to be retained in a convenient ments in moistening devices such as are emposition for use. By placing the finger upon 85 1 ployed for moistening the fingers or the that portion of the sponge 5 projecting point of a lead pencil, and has for lts prithrough the opening i the same will be moismary object to design a moistener embodytened and there will be no necessity for placing novel means whereby it may be held in mg the finger 1n the mouth or resorting to a convenient position for use. other well known and equally objectionable 70 A further object of the invention has been expedients.

to provide a simplc andinexpensive moisten- The threaded connection of the cover 1" ing device which is of such a nature as to with. the body 1 or receptacle provides not enable it to be readily employed by conduconly for an engagement between the cover tors and others who are compelled to sort and the body, but provides for an adjustcoin and tickets, but. the nature of whose ment of the cover inward against or toward occupation is such. as to prohibit the use of the body, whereby the sponge or other abthe common form of finger moistcner. sorbent material carried within the body For a full description of the invention and may be more or less compressed, as occasion the merits thereof and also to acquire a may require. Thus, if the sponge is com- 89 knowledge of the details of construction and paratively small, the cover may be forced the means for effecting the result, reference inward until the sponge is compressed sois to be had to the following description and that it will protrude through the opening accompanying drawings, in which: of the cover. If, however, the spongd is Figure 1 is a perspective view of a moislarge, the covering section may be unscrewed 85 tening device embodying the invention. to enlarge the receptacle. It will be seen Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the same. that the screw-threaded engagement is such Fig. 3 is a rear view of the moistener. Fig.- ithat there is little liklihood that after the 4 is a plan view showing a modified form of l cover has been once adjusted, it will bc-accimoistener. i denlally forced .on'tward,. by, the elasticity Corresponding andlike parts are referred of the spongeor othcrigtiisnrbent material. to in the following description and indicated There is thus provided'a"'1iieans for permain all the views of the drawings by the same ncntly adjusting compression upon the reference characters. sponge, while the front of the covering sec- In general a moistener embodying the tion being dished, is more or less resilient 95 40 present invention comprises a body portion i and thereby provides for temporary comof a flattened formation, the bark of the pression of the sponge to cause the moisture body portion being provided with a 'l'asten- I to exude therefrom. ing member by means of which themoistener 1 slight modification is shown in Fig. 4; can be secured in position, while the front l in which the receptacle 1 of the moistener 100 of the body portion has an opening formed has a tongue 6 soldered, riveted or otherwise therein through which a sponge or analogousi rigidly secured to the convex face of the absorbent mcmber project rca r member a and projecting laterally In the embodimentof the invention shown i therefrom, the said tongue being designed in Fig. 1 the receptacle 1 is of a flattened to form a means for securing the moistener 105 formation and comprises a body portion 1 to a' desk or like support. When thus aphaving a threaded connection with a cover plied to school desks, the pupils-will be en- 1. A pin 2 is applied tothe body portion abled to moisten their pencil points upon the 1 and has the usual spring engagement with sponge and will not form the habit of placa keeper 3, the said pin forming a convening the pencils in the month. For this pur-j ient means for securing the moistener in l pose the cover is provided with a notch 8 FINGER-MOISTENER. g?

position. A central opening 4 is formed in Specification of Letters Patent. Application filedianuary 21, 1908. Serial No. 411,963.

Patented Dec; 13, 1910.

the cover 1" and through this opening proas indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. \Vhen it is required to moisten the point of a pencil the device is swung outward from beneath the top of the desk upon the pivot fastening 9 which passes through the opening in the tongue 6 and serves as securing means be tween the moistener and the desk. To moisten the finger the device may be moved outward so as to expose the opening at and the part of the sponge 5 projecting there through. When the device is swung under the top of the desk both openings 4 and 8 are closed, thereby preventing evaporation of the water contained in the receptacle by means of which the sponge or absorbent 5 is kept moistened.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A finger moistener comprising a body portion having an inwardly extending circumferential flange, said flange being screwthreaded, a mass of compressible absorbent material contained Within the body portion and a compressing member comprising a plate having an opening in the center through which the absorbent material will protrude, said plate at its margin being provided with an inwardly extendin flange screw threaded to engage with the t ange on the body portion, whereby said compressing member may be adjusted toward or from the body portion to adjust-ably compress the mass of absorbent material contained therein.

2. A finger moistener comprising a receptacle having an outwardly extending angular marginal flange, a sponge contained within the walls of the receptacle, and a sponge-compressing member having an angular marginal flange mating with the marginal flange of the receptacle, said spongecompressing member having a central opening through which the sponge projects, and means for holding the compressing member in any desired adjusted positionnearer to or farther from the said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

BERT CURTISS. a 8.

-Witnesses A. E. THORNTON, HARRY HAKE. 

